The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-10-06
FOREIGN MISSIONS.
Great Debate over the Method OF
Examining Missionaries.
Shall the Prudential Committee be
Superseded by Church Councils?

Superseded by Church counciis7
The Question Of Probation for
heather Involved Indirectly.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, Oct. 5.--At the busl-
ness meeting Of the American Board Of Com
missioners of Foreign Missions this forenoon
there was an extremely large attendance.
Rev. Judson Smith read the report Of the
missions in China, Africa and the Pacific
Islands. In China the number of converts
exceed 10000. and the prospect is very en-
couraging. In Africa the Zulu mission has
| enjoyed year Of exceptional prosperity,
the churches reporting an increase of 12s
members in total Of 1000. In the Sand
wich Islands are % missions and 166 or
dained missionaries, 325 churches, 2S,041
members, and S7S schools with 1,l5l pupils.
| steady enlargement is reported in the
papal lands. In Austria there has been a
hattering Improvement, and even In Bull
garia, in the face of threatened war, i'm
provement has been made. Interest Is
quickened among the Greeks at Smyrna and
along the coast of the Black Sea. India has
a larger population of heathen than ever be.
fore. There are 5000 members Of ouI
churches, but much more help Is needed.
| The work in Japan Is fourishing and the
call for Christian teachers is urgent.
City Hall was packed at t0day's meeting.
| a nalf hour prayer meeting, led by Rev. DIR.
George u. Pentecost was followed by
q, report OF the prudential committee on
the expediency Of calling councils in certain
cases, made by Rev. DR.. Judson Smith.
During the reading OF the 6rst Of the
| above reports, ex-Gov. VIM. b. Washburn OF
Greenfield, received a stroke Of apoplexy
while sitting on the platform, and died al
most instantly.
The prudential committee reported mex
pedlency In the matter of calling councils to
determine the d0ctrinal fitness Of a candi-
date fCr mission fields, This matter was re-
1erred TO the committee by the Minneapolis
meeting last year. Their verdict will open
afresh the war over the future probation
| question. The reasons given for the decis-
| ion are. that nothing in Congregational trea-
| tlses or annals gives such a body as the
american Board authority to call church
councils, and to do so would be an unwar.
rantsble assumption Of ecclesiasti-
clsm. For over fifty years the pru-
dental committee has decided such matters,
The reference of doctrinal qualifications to
councils would, during the past year. have
necessitated ninety such assemblages, max
ing IL formidable undertaking. The OBJ
lection is also made that the councils are ec-
clesiastical, while the board is made up Of
men Of various denominations. that the
councils are local while the Board is cos
mopolitan, that the councils are transient
and cannot be held responsible, that If the
decision OF council is only advisory then
the prudential committee must as now be
the final appointer, but If the councils de-
cislon Is final, the virtual appointment must
rest with local and transient board which
ceases to exist as soon as the decision is
reached. This would interfere with the
harmony Of administration which the report
says most evidently Is needed for the ap-
pointment Of missionaries. For all ad-
ministrative functions of body like the
| American board should be perferred by an
agency created by itself, well known, and
| directly responsible to those who give 1t ex-
istence OF which Is required at brief stated
intervals an account Of its proceedings, and
the composition of which, when required,
can be promptly and easily changed A
prudential committee elected annually, is
believed to be such an agency, able to act in
a. al cases as aDP9{inting body If assembled
act with deliberation and caution
The report closes as follows "Tbe pres
ent method has worked well for 70 years.
There was no friction. The recent embar-
rassment has arisen chiefly from interfer-
ence during the customary course of in
quiry,. by the unwarraneed publication
OF unfinished business. The usual method
still commends itself as the wsest and best.
II continued and approved by the Board,
tne present and future embarraSSments will
be removed and averted better than in any
other way. Seeing then, that by general
consent and usage, such bodies as the Board
cannot call councils, seeing that to call them
only IN doetrlnal cases would be to
open grave objections, and to call them
In all cases would be cumbersome, seeing
that councils being local ephem-
eral, and irresponsible are inadequate
for the purpose, seeing the mixed RESPONSE
oillty In selecting candidates would produce
friction and dissatisfaction, seeing that
unity OF trust In appointing and supporting
the missionary has long worked well and
VIII secure wider harmony than any other
method. the committee do not think the
measure submitted expedient."
Rev. Henry T. Cheever, of Worcester.
undertook to Introduce q resolution that ii
was the sense of the lOyal-loying con-
sttuency Of the American Board that be-
lief In a future probation Is permissible ON
the part Of candidates for the missionary
Held. and should not exclude them from 1t.
This was ruled out of order.
!, The report was made the first in order for
the afternoon session.
At the afternoon session, after the appoint
ment OF committees to consider the condition
OF the different mission fields, the question
OF accepting the report of the prudential
committee and the adoption of the last
clause OF the report was taken up. After
some discussion, ex-President Porter moved
that the whole subject be referred 20 a com
mittee to report next year.
Rev. DIR. Noble OF Chicago thought the
corporate members had all made sp their
minds, and that further discussion and con-
sideration was unnecessary.
The motion to refer was lost, 81 to 49, The
report on councils was then accepted. and
the question recurred on the adoption Of the
recommendation. Then great debated be-
gan.
Rev. Dr.; Patton Of Washington, Prof
Morris of Yale, and Rev. Mr.. Eddy of De-
troit favored councils, while Samuel III. Pot
ter of Terre Haute, Ind, Rev. DIR. Hamlin,
the returned missionary from Turkey, and
Rev. DIR. Quint of New Hampshire opposed.
Rev. DR.. Todd of New Haven, made a
and poor, who support the Board, shall have
a voice in selecting the men sent out.
Rev. Joseph Cook said this was a great
transition period in Japan; should we sow
Asia with self contradictions in this critical
period in her history? A movement was
maturing, five did not distract them, which
might grow into great national Chinese
church. Agree, he said, with Lyman
Beecher. who said he was willing to follow
the main lines OF congregational policy, but
Rev. DR.. George F. Pentecost opposed the
councils. He said AT home we can ac-
cept novices, because we are surrounded by
influences that will correct error, but abroad
DIR. Ely said: LET well enough alone.
Nine-tenths of the Christians agree with tue
Board"
Rev. Mr.. Fisher, of Maine, said he was
brought up aPresbyterian, but never heard
so much said against Congregationalism as
to-day in the report of the committee.
DIR. Behrends, of Brooklyn, opposed
councils.
Rev. DIR. Magoon, of Iowa, said the Board
In 1871 settled the question that it would not
transfer the authority Of the prudential com
mittee to councils. The question upon
adopting the last clause of the report of the
prudential committee, that it is not expe-
dient to call councils to deal with difficult
cases, passed, ITO yeas to 10 nays.
AT the evening session, Rev. j. l.. Jenkins
OF Pittsheld, made remarks expressive of
the character and worth of e1 Gov w. b.
Washburn. A resolution Of appreciation Of
his worth and coincidence with the family
was adopted, and q committee of six were
appointed to attend his funeral
DIR. George E. Post of the Syrian mission.
expressed the hearty unity of the laborers in
the mission field. He predicted distress and
bloody persecution in the near future for
their work.
Dr. w. III. S. Aubrey of England, volun-
teered the statement that such series Of
meetings, with such vast audiences as this,
would be impossible in England,
Hon. @. W. Holcomb, formerly United
States secretary of the Chinese Legation,
said that there was hut one missionary 10 a
million and a half of raanla f,, Nhfno ff,.o.o